


Falling Hopes

by l1ght



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Agender Character, Angst, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Depressed Sans (Undertale), Frisk is at fault here, Frisk's redemption, How Do I Tag, I Don't Know Where This Is Going, Just angst, Narrator Chara (Undertale), Other, Pure anst, Sans (Undertale) Remembers Resets, Sans just doesn't care, So because I love Charisk so much, this might not be Pafriskus like I said it would be
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:53:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25853908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l1ght/pseuds/l1ght
Summary: Frisk Resets. Falls down. And doesn't remember, thus breaking the cycle. Join Frisk as they learn of their past deeds, and try to redeem themselves.Give this a chance, it fucking sucks at the start, but it getsreallygood, I promise.
Comments: 22
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

I was falling. Was I falling? It was a bit calming. Just down and down I go, the sun getting smaller and smaller. Would I ever land? I did not know. Then, all of a sudden, I hit the ground.

I got up and dusted myself off. How did I survive the fall? There was a bed of golden flowers. The logics of surviving a 1,000 foot fall because of a bed of flowers doesn't make sense, but who cares? It's how things work.

I was dazed, but I kept going. This all seemed familiar, somehow. It feels like I've been here before… Then, a flower pops out of the ground in front of me, and a strange cheerful song starts playing. It looks like one of those golden flowers that broke my fall, yet different. It was larger and had a grin on it's face. Yes, this particular golden flower had a face

It starts speaking, "Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower! Hmmm… You're new to the Underground, arent'cha? Golly, you must be so confused! Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little ol' me will have to do! Ready? Here we go!"

The world flashes black and white, and a heart appears in front of my chest. It was a almost-blood-red color and seemed to be the only thing with color in my field of vision. A menu also appeared in front of me. There were four options. FIGHT, ACT, ITEM, AND MERCY. It also seemed as if I was trapped in a box of some sort. Flowey starts speaking again.

"See that heart? That's your Soul, the very culmination of your being!" Its speech was still cheerful, but I felt something was wrong. It kept going with its speech.

"Your Soul starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV. What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don't you? Don't worry, I'll share some with you!"

Five little white pellets appeared around my soul. The expression on Flowey's face seemed to be a bit sadistic, almost as if it was trying to hide it. It gave the impression me, that I should should steer clear of these things.

"Down here, LOVE is shared through… Little white… 'Friendliness pellets'! Are you ready? Move around, grab as many as you can!"

The 'friendliness pellets' started moving toward me, yet I followed my earlier instinct and avoided them. The look on Flowey's face got a bit more sadistic and frustrated, as if its control over its expression was slipping.

"Hey, buddy, you missed them. Let's try this again, okay?" More 'friendliness pellets' appeared and started moving towards me. I avoided them again. Its face was almost that of a creature who was incredibly frustrated, yet it still somehow gave off vibes of a sadistic nature.

"Is this a joke? Are you braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS FRIENDLINESS PELLETS." Then, its expression changes. It looks more like its falling into its natural position. Creepy, and sadistic. Almost as if Flowey wants to kill everyone, me included.

"You know what's going on here, don't you? You just wanted to see me suffer!" A ring of the bullets forms around me, and Flowey starts cackling.

"DIE" The bullets start closing in on me, I thought I was dead. Then, a fireball comes out of nowhere and hits Flowey, knocking it out of my field of vision. The bullets disappear as well.

A sweet voice starts talking… "What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth…


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk's not going to remember anything until like chapter 5, so strap in for more Frisk Confusion™.

It was a goat. A goat saved me. A tall goat in purple robes with a strange symbol on the front. I still can't get over that fact that it's a goat. Help me. I need to get out of this place. Or this dream. I don't even know what's going on anymore. Suddenly, the goat starts speaking.

"Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, Caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through here everyday to see if anyone has fallen down." Wait what? Are animals sentient here or something? And, Toriel just met me and I'm already her child? I am so confused. I guess she must've noticed that because she spoke again.

"I see you are confused, my child. Let me guide you through the Ruins, it will be nice to have some company on the way. By the way, my child what is your name?"

I am still lost in my own thoughts, so it's a while before I respond. "Oh-Um… My name is Fr-" Wait what? My name is Frisk. No! My name isn't Frisk! My name is Frisk! …Why can't I say my real name? Something poked at the edge of my mind, something about a nickname, but i could quite grasp it. I'll figure that out later. For now, I'm Frisk.

I corrected my posture. "My name is Frisk."

Toriel kept walking and I followed her. "That's a nice name, my child! If I may ask, how old are you?" The question was a bit unexpected, but I still answered truthfully.

"I am 15 years old. It's my birthday soon." She smiled at this.

"Well then, happy early birthday my child!" She stopped in front of a bunch of spikes. I wondered why they were there. Was she expecting me to walk across?! Well… I stepped and stood beside her, and as is that was some sort of trigger, she started talking.

"I wonder if you can do this puzzle, my child…" I immediately stepped back. This was a puzzle? I don't really like puzzles… You have to twist your mind in complicated ways to solve them and it hurts my brain just to think about it. Luckily, she was a bit hesitant to send me across the sea of spikes on my own.

Toriel offered her hand. "Here, my child. Take my hand, I shall guide you across this puzzle." I took her hand, and she confidently took a step and her foot landed right where one of the spikes was. I was just about to scream and call for help, when I realized that the spikes weren't… There anymore? She kept walking, spikes retracting each time she took a step. I carefully followed along, glad she was there, and I didn't have to solve this puzzle by myself.

When we reached the end of the spikes, she let of my hand and turned to me. "Puzzles seem a bit too dangerous for now." She must've noticed the relieved look on my face, because she started laughing. Toriel composed herself and kept going. I followed.

The next room was a long corridor with a couple of pillars at the end. She turned to me once more and with a grave voice, started speaking.

"My child, I'm afraid I must leave you here. I will see you later." Then she left me alone. I was stunned. She seemed like a motherly figure, why on earth would she ever leave me alone?

I snapped out of my thoughts and started running after her. Unfortunately, she was already gone. I rushed to see if I could catch up to her, but there was no luck in that endeavor. I slowed down; I was approaching the end of the hall. I stopped in between the pillars, and guess who was there? The goat lady herself, Toriel!

She laughed again at my expression. "I'm sorry my child, but that was a necessary test to measure your independence. I'm afraid I must leave you here for now. Would you please stay here, I must run some errands." She looked a bit sad to be leaving me here, but then her face lit up with the joy of an idea. "Oh, I know! My child, I know some humans of your age have cell phones, do you have one?"

I was a bit confused because, why would there be cell phones underground? But unfortunately, I did not have a cell phone. "Uh… No, Mom I don't…" I instantly covered my mouth at accidentally calling her 'Mom' but she seemed ok with it.

"Would it make you happy… To call me 'Mother'?" Man, was I relieved that she was fine with it. Damn it, you stupid brain! "Um… If you're okay with it!" my voice was a bit of a squeak at the end.

" _Oh, look at you, pretending you didn't **murder** her~_"

I jumped a little at the voice. I decided to ignore it and figure what in the holy hell was going on later.

The goat looked at me worriedly. "My child, are you ok?"

I looked up at her and hesitantly nodded.

"Ok, if you say so"

Tor- Mom smiled and reached into one of the pockets of her robe. "Here my child, I have a cell phone for you." She handed me an old Nokia that looked like it was tired of living. I immediately pocketed it and promptly thanked her.

She turned around and spoke. "I will see you later, my child." And left. I was… alone now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story is a bland, typical retelling of Undertale so far, but things get more interesting soon. AKA in the chapter 4 that I keep talking about.  
> (Used to be chapter 5, but I merged 3 and 4 together.)
> 
> Also, be aware that this is a double update. The other chapter is being posted soon.

Should I listen to Mom, or should I keep going? I had a feeling that I should keep going, as it was getting cold and maybe there were more people here. People who… Aren't as nice as Mom.

I decided to keep going. As soon as I stepped out of the hall, my cell phone rang.

"Hello? My child, do you prefer cinnamon, or butterscotch? No, wait don't tell me… Is it- Do you like cinnamon more?" Wha- How did Mom know?! "Yes, Mom! I like cinnamon more!" I was still dwelling on the fact that she somehow knew, when she answered and hung up. "Ok, thanks!"

Well, that was weird. I decided to keep going. I saw a weird little golden-yellow four-pointed star in the next room. It was shiny and made me want to touch it. I had seen a couple of these before, but I don't think Mom sees them, so I ignored them. This time, I reached out and touched it. A warm feeling filled me and as if I was in a video game, a menu popped up.

**Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination.**

**Frisk- LV 1**

**Ruins- Leaf Pile**

**Save Return**

I selected the Save option, and another menu popped up.

**Frisk- LV 1**

**Ruins- Leaf Pile**

**File Saved.**

Then it disappeared. I am really starting to feel like I'm in a video game.

" _Aaw, Frisky~. You felt that way the first time around too~. Some things never change, do they?_ "

There was that voice again. The one that talked about time repeating, and something about me doing things 'again'. I ignored it, just like before.

I kept going, eventually reaching another room. All of a sudden, the world seemed to flash black and white and a monster appeared in front of me. Then, yet another menu appeared.

This one was a bit more complicated, but I still felt like I was in a video game.

***Froggit hopped close**

**FIGHT ACT ITEM MERCY**

I chose the ACT button and Complimented the froggit. It apparently blushed, and then I Spared it. I kept going, noticing more of the Save points along the way. Every time I saw one, I Saved.

My phone rang again. "Hello, my child. You do not dislike butterscotch, do you? As in, would you turn up your nose if you found it on you plate?" This was a bit weird. Was she baking a pie or something? "No, of course not Mom! I actually like the two of them together!" She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Ok thank you my child. By the way, have you left the room?" I froze. I wanted to tell her the truth, but I had the feeling that she would just tell me to go back. "No, of course not, Mom!" She seemed to relax even more. Somehow, I noticed this over the phone. "OK, thank goodness. There are some puzzles up ahead that I have yet to explain." Then, she hung up.

In the next room, I found more monsters that attacked me, but I always used the ACT button, then Spared them. There was also a ghost lying on the ground that kept saying "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ", pretending to sleep.

"Umm, hello, Mr. Ghost, could you please move out of the way?" He noticed me, and a Fight began. The menu told me that his name was Napstablook. He also looked like he was depressed. I tried Complimenting him, but he seemed to believe I was only trying to make him move out of the way. One option left. I chose the Flirt option. He seemed to blush then asked me if I wanted to see something cool. I answered that yes, I would, and he seemed to put on a hat.

It looked amazing. "I call it Dapper Blook. Do you like it?" I immediately answer. "Yes! It looks so cool! I love it!" He blushes again and leaves. The Fight is over.

I kept going. The room branched off into a fork. I went one way, deciding to investigate the other way later. The way I went wasn't another hallway at all, though. It was just another room, with a bunch of cobwebs and some signs. One of them read 'Spider bakes sale! All proceeds go to real spiders! Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!' Eww. Gross. But I decided to buy a donut. I put 7G (Which seemed to be local currency here) that I got from the fights in one of the webs. Some spiders crawled out with a purple-ish donut.

I grabbed it and thanked them. I stored the Spider Donut in my inventory and exited the room. I decided to try going the other way. There was another sign advertising the spider base sale, but I walked right past it. There were also more puzzles, but I solved them with ease. Eventually, I arrived at another fork in the road. I went straight forward and ran into a Froggit. It didn't want to fight, though. It told me that it'd seen Mom exit from the door on the right. I went in and I found a large balcony.

To the left, there was a Toy Knife. When I grabbed it, there was an option to equip it as a weapon. I did so, just in case. I had also equipped a Faded Ribbon that I found earlier on.

I went back to the fork in the road and head up. There was a big, dead tree, and I was wondering how it even grew underground with no sunlight, but then my phone rang.

"My child, I am coming back. I have left you there for far too lon-" She noticed me. "How did you get here, Frisk? Are you hurt?" Mom was quite worried about me. It was sort of funny. "No, Mom, I'm not hurt." She turned around and pointed at a house behind her. "That is my house. Come inside my child. I have a surprise for you."

I followed her inside

~_~_~

When I entered the house, I noticed that it was loved and the person who lived there took good care of it. The walls were yellow, and there was a strange staircase that Mom blocked of with her bulky form as she noticed me looking at it. There was a hallway to the right and the left.

"Welcome to your new home, my child! Let me show you your new room!" She started walking to the right, and I followed. Mom stopped in front of the first door and turned towards it. "This is your room! Feel free to check it out and sleep! It's getting late. Oh! Do I smell something burning? Excuse me!" and she ran off.

When I walked into the room, I noticed was that it was decorated for the needs of a child or a pre-teen. As soon as I sat down, I realized that I was tired. I lay down and immediately fell asleep.

When I woke up, I saw that Mom had left a slice of a pie. I picked it up and noticed that it smelled like… Butterscotch and cinnamon? Heh. So she couldn't decide. I put the slice of pie in my inventory and walked out of the room.

I decided to leave the stairs alone for now and continued down the hallway the room was in. there were two more rooms, the second one having a sign on it that said 'Room under renovations'. I went into the first of the two rooms and was kind of embarrassed. I had walked into Mom's most private space: her room.

From where I was standing, I noticed a few things. There was a large bed in a corner of the room, and there was a desk to my left that had an open book on it. There was also a pen beside it. A dairy maybe? There was also a bookshelf on the opposite side of the room. I left Mom's bedroom and decided to investigate the hallway to the left of the entrance.

I realized was that it wasn't a hallway, but a living room. Mom was there, sitting in an armchair reading a book that was called '107 facts about snails'. There were more bookshelves and a fireplace with a humongous, warm fire going.

While I had been exploring the house, a strange, nostalgic feeling hit me. I half expected the voice to speak up and say something about me being oblivious and of course things would be familiar. Instead, kept quiet, as if it was relieving some memories.

I mentally shook my head, and unfroze from where I was standing.

"Hey, Mom!" She looked up from her book and noticed me. "Oh, my child! You're up quite early. Did you notice the piece of pie I left for you?

"Yep, sure did, Mom! I'm saving it for later!"

She laughed a bit. "Good to hear! It's my specialty: butterscotch-cinnamon pie!"

"Sounds delicious, Mom. I'm not that hungry right now, though."

"Oh, it is ok, my child. Do not worry. Is there anything you wanted to ask me?"

I thought for a moment. "Mom, where do the stairs lead?" Suddenly, her expression changed. Mom hastily tried to change the subject. "Would you like to hear an interesting fact about snails, my child? Did you know that sometimes, snails flip their digestive systems as they mature?"

I kept going. For some reason, I was Determined to know where those stairs would lead. "No mom, I want to know where those stairs lead."

She closed her book and got up. "Stay here, my child. I must do something." Mom then rushed towards the stairs.

I tried to follow her, but she was fast for someone her size. I went down the stairs, and there she was, standing there in the middle of the hallway, contemplating her choices.

"Mom, what are you doing? I just want to know where the stairs lead!" Mom saw me and held her head high and spoke. Her voice was a bit melancholy.

"I must do this, my child. I must break the door that is the exit of the ruins. I will not have another child to leave." She then kept going. I ran after her.

"Mom, come back! You don't have to do this!" Mom stopped.

"I am sorry Frisk, but I must. If you leave, you will end up like the rest. Murdered by him. King Asgore Dreemurr. My old husband." She kept going, not looking back.

I kept running, trying to catch up with her. "Mom, I'll be careful! I won't get murdered, even if I leave! I don't even want to leave!" But as I said that last statement, I realized that that was not true. I faltered in my running when that realization came upon me. I love Mom with all my heart, but I knew that… I couldn't stay here, even if I tried. This was bound to happen sooner or later, I would get bored and search for a way out. Might as well get it over with.

Mom noticed that I had paused. She stopped to talk once more. "See? Even you don't believe your own lies. You know you want to leave; they all want to leave. But I am not losing another child!" The goat lady kept going, also Determined, but somehow I knew my Determination was stronger. I kept running.

Eventually, we reached a small chamber with a humongous door. She stopped in front of it and turned around. "Fine! If you want to leave so badly, the prove yourself! Prove yourself to me that you can survive out there!" The world flashes black and white, and a Fight starts.

No, no, no! I never wanted this! I reached to the ACT button and selected Talk. But Mom was Determined. "I am sorry my child, but this must be done." Then she attacked.

Her attacks consisted of fireballs and were fairly easy to avoid. I then remembered what one of the Froggits that didn't attack me said: "Maybe one day, you'll have to Spare someone who doesn't want to be Spared." So, on my turn, I selected MERCY and pushed Spare.

Toriel faltered; she was not expecting that. "Run or Fight, my child! What are you doing?" Then, she attacked again. I noticed that her attacks weren't as strong this time. On my turn I clicked Spare again. And again. And again. Until eventually, she stopped attacking.

"I am sorry my child. For you, I'll put aside my, beliefs, expectations, and protectiveness. I will let you pass through this door. Promise me one thing though: never return after you leave. It would break my heart too much." Oh, poor Goat Mom! I walked over to her and hugged her.

"It's okay Mom. I promise. I'm sorry too. For not living up to your expectations, and not listening to you." I unhugged her and smiled. She smiled back.

"Have a safe journey, my child." And she walked off. Goodbye, Goat Mom.

I faced the doors and pushed them open. A sense of foreboding filled me, but I pushed onward.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans is a bit OOC here, but honestly I think he just doesn't care at this point, and will accept anything.
> 
> Part two of the double update!

There was a snowy forest. There were pine trees on both sides of the path. The path seemed to stretch out forever, never stopping. The doors banged shut behind me, blocking my way back. Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of me.

A skeleton wearing a blue hoodie, black and white shorts, and pink slippers. Could this place get any weirder? He walks towards me with a skeletal grin on his face.

"hey, kid. how are ya?" He says. His tone is friendly, a bit too friendly, as if he's threatening me. He also seems to know me.

"Uhh… Hi. Do I know you? You seem familiar, but I can't put my finger on it. But then again, that would make no sense if I did know you…" I rambled thoughtfully. The skeleton's expression shifted into one of malice, as if he didn't like me at all.

Something pulled at the edge of my mind, something about a golden room, dust, and blood... Lots and lots of blood. I shivered a bit.

"oh really, kid? you're playing that game now, huh? don't pretend you don't know me. aren't you the one who is about to kill everyone?" I was shocked by this statement. Why? Just why would I kill everyone?

"Umm… I think you may have the wrong human. I've never seen you, this place, or anything else down here before. Could you please explain what's going on?"

"stop playin' around, kid. you know what's going on. this is like the 500th time this has happened. you fall. you kill. you reset. rinse and repeat." His eye sockets had turned fully black, the white pupils gone. I was so confused. The Voice had also mentioned this before. Time repeating. Was... It somehow my fault?

" _Oh wow, we must all rejoice. Frisk is not a dimwit. Yay._ "

I was really getting tired of this Voice, but something deep inside me seemed fond of it. Just as o thought things couldn't get any stranger, I was suddenly fond of the sarcastic voice inside my head. Oh wow.

"No, I seriously don't know what you're talking about. Sure, this place seems familiar, but I've never been here before. Trust me on this."

"why would i trust the person who has killed me, my brother, and all of my friends before? nah, kid. i'm not placing my trust in you."

"Is there some sort of test you could do to see if I'm that person?" This caused a somewhat thoughtful look on the skeleton's face.

"sure, yeah. there have been some questions i've been wanting to ask you. the kid i know would never disclose personal information. and if you are pretending, then i could still use that info against you. so, how old are ya? what's your name?" Finally. I was getting somewhere.

"I'm almost 16 years old, and my name is Frisk."

"why are ya carrying a knife around?" As he said this, he pointed at the Toy Knife in my hand. I lifted it up and pointed at it.

"Oh, this? I found it and equipped it. Though I haven't had to use it yet, and hopefully won't have to." For some reason, this caused the smiling skeleton to relax a bit, though his eye sockets were still pitch-black.

"yea, sure. Your story checks out, your lv is 1." I was surprised by this. How did he know what my LV was?

"Ok. I have a couple of questions myself. Like, what is a RESET? How do you know my LV? What is LV?" By now, his eyes were normal, and he looked relaxed.

"do you have the ability to save? if so, then you should be able to reset. as for the lv, it stands for love, which stands for level of violence. as for how i'm able too see yours, it's an ability i have." He winked at the last part.

"Wait, you know about SAVEs? Ah, fine. I get a feeling you won't tell me. Who are you, though?"

"i'm sans. sans the skeleton." Sans pulled out his hand from one of his pockets and held it out. It was a handshake. I reached out and took it. A loud noise echoed throughout the forest. Why was there a whoopee cushion in his hand?! It was funny, though. We both burst out laughing. He was laughing but was still a bit wary of me.

"ah, the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it's always funny." He started walking off. "come on, bucko, or do you want to sit around and be a lazybones all day?" I followed him, while continuing to laugh. This guy was a comedian.

He was still a bit suspicious of me, but the mood was light. Eventually, we reached a bridge with bars across it, so no one would be able to cross the bridge. The only problem was that the bars were too wide to stop anyone. Sans halted.

"you know, i'm a sentry. i'm supposed to be on watch for humans right now. buuuuuuut, i don't really care about capturing anybody. now my bro, he's a human-hunting fanatic!" He points ahead. "actually, i think that's him over there."

He pointed to somewhere in the distance. I looked where he was pointing, and out of the corner of my eye, i thought i saw him glare at me.

" _...Who wouldn't glare at **you**?_"


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ey, here ya go. More of my shit writing. It's gonna be a little along the game's script again for a while, but things are going to go downhill soon.
> 
> This is a double update, the other chapter will be out soon.

I looked at where Sans was pointing. There was a red and white blob moving towards us.

"come on, i know a place where you can hide." He grabbed my arm and dragged me across the bridge. We stopped at a little clearing. The skeleton motioned towards a purple and blue lamp. Why was there a lamp here? This is a forest!

"go hide behind that conveniently placed and shaped lamp." I did so. He was right, the lamp was conveniently shaped. Not to mention placed. Sans' brother came running into view.

"SANS! IT'S BEEN 7 DAYS, AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T. RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE? THERE WILL BE NO PUZZLES TO STOP THEM!"

The larger skeleton kept rambling. I was wondering why he didn't notice me. I may be invisible if you were standing right in front of the lamp, but to him, it would look like I was standing beside the lamp.

"sorry, bro. i'm on break." This bantering was making me giggle a bit. I hoped Sans' brother didn't notice me.

"SANS! YOU'RE ALWAYS ON BREAK! DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE FOR ONCE!"

"i have. i've been working my fingers down to the bone." Why did I hear a rimshot when he said that? It was a good pun, though. The other skeleton seemed to be getting frustrated.

"SANSSS! NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR YOUR HORRIBLE PUNS! AND IF YOU EVER WANT TO BE AS COOL AS ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, THE YOU'LL NEED TO PUT SOME MORE… BACKBONE INTO IT! NYEH HEH HEH!" And with that, Papyrus sauntered off. Sans turned toward the lamp.

"you can come out now, kid. you just witnessed something rare. paps made a pun for once. hey, i have a favor to ask of you. my bro has been a bit down lately. seeing a human just might make his day. don't worry, he's not as dangerous as he tries to seem. isn't papyrus so cool?" I agreed to let Papyrus see me. Man, these Skelebros were getting the best of me.

"heh, thanks kiddo. now, you'd better hurry along, or you'll have to hear more of my terrible puns. see you up ahead." Then, he walked off in the direction we came. What? How was I going to see him up ahead if he went the opposite way? Ah, who cares. I had a feeling he'd stay true to his word, and I'll see him up ahead.

A bit up ahead, there was a fork in the path. I decide to head to the left, but there was nothing but a fishing rod. I decided to leave it alone; it's not my business. I also had a feeling that it was a prank. I returned and kept going straight.

Up ahead, I saw the Skelebrothers. So, I was right after all. He did speak the truth. I walked a bit more slowly, until I was right behind a random rock. Sans then noticed me.

"hey, pap. look over there" He pointed at me. Papyrus seemed excited.

"OH MY GOD, SANS. IS THAT A HUMAN?" I had a feeling Sans was about to pull a pun.

"nah, bro. that's a rock. but hey, what's that behind the rock?" I knew it.

"OH MY GOD, SANS. IS THAT A HUMAN?" This was getting funny.

"yeah." Then, one of the funniest things so far happened. The friendly giant and Sans started spinning for some reason. Were they ballet dancers or something?!

"SANS, REALLY?"

"yeah paps, really." They stopped spinning and Papyrus cleared his non-existent throat.

"HUAMAN! IT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! PREPARE FOR PUZZLES, HIGH-JINKS, LOW-JINKS, JAPES AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! NYEH HEH HEH!" Then, he ran off once again.

Sans turned towards me. "heh, well played." I opened my mouth to ask them if they were secretly ballerinas, but the word seemed to flash black and white, just like at the beginning of a battle. I braced myself, but no Fight started. Sans had disappeared. I am pretty sure by now that he can teleport.

I turned towards the path ahead. Only one way to go now. Prepare for puzzles!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think things are going to get interesting soon. Also CAN SOMEONE (other than Kemi, sorry) PLEASE COMMENT I'M DYING OVER HERE, NOT KNOWING WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF MY WRITING. *ahem* With that, enjoy.
> 
> Also, make this part 2 of a triple update.

I walked on, following the path. There were encounters along the way, but I didn't get too hurt. Some of the more interesting monsters I encountered were an Icecap, which kept talking about the hat they were wearing. There was also Lesser Dog, a dog walking on its hind legs and wearing armor. I didn't think this place could get any stranger. But it did.

Along the way, I found a sentry station that had a sign inn front of it. It said: 'Don't move!'. I immediately froze. A dog's head poked out of the station. It was black and white. The dog seemed to be smoking… dog treats?

"Did something move? I don't know. I can only see moving things." The world once again flashed black and white, and I was fighting the dog.

His name was Doggo, and he was wearing shorts and a shirt with no sleeves. The only thing I had to do during the battle was not move. And pet him when he wasn't looking, of course. Doggo got confused and ended the battle.

"Pet? Pat? Pot?! Is something there? I could've sworn, something pet me. I'm going to need some dog treats for this." The dog walked off.

Well, that was certainly strange. But, then again. Everything here is. Well, I need to keep going. Sans and Papyrus are probably waiting for me.

In the next area, there was a lot of ice. It was fun to slip and slide across it, but it eventually got boring. So, I kept going. Then, there was a little clearing, and on the other side were the Skelebros.

"SANS! LOOK! THE HUMAN IS HERE!" Papyrus looked maybe a bit too excited. That left me feeling a bit wary of him. But a nagging feeling at the back of my mind told me that he wasn't dangerous. Not at all. He would be an easy target. Wait, what? Where did that come out of? Maybe it's the other human Sans was talking about. The one that… killed everyone.

" _Nope, not me. I don't say things like that. It's you, Frisky._ "

I shook my head to clear it of these thoughts, and paid attention to the brothers' bantering. It was sort of funny.

"yeah bro, i can see."

"SANSS! DON'T BE SO CHILL ABOUT THIS! THIS IS A HUMAN! I MUST CAPTURE IT!"

"yeah, i know. good luck." Sans was having a bad time keeping a straight face at Papyrus' probably unintended pun.

"SANS! YOU NEED TO HELP TOO!" Papyrus then turned towards me. "AHEM! HUMAN, PREPARE FOR YOUR FIRST PUZZLE THAT YOU WILL SURELY NOT PASS! YOU SEE, THIS IS AN ELECTRIC MAZE! IF YOU TAKE A WRONG TURN, THIS ORB I AM HOLDING IN MY HAND WILL DELIVER AN ELECTRIC SHOCK TO YOU! YOU MAY START NOW!"

I gulped. But, somehow, I knew where to go. I turned at all the right places and got to the other side without bumping into the invisible walls. Papyrus was befuddled. His jaw literally hit the ground. I laughed a bit.

He straightened and spoke once more. His jaw seemed to magically appear back in its original place. "I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS EXPECTED NO LESS OF YOU, HUMAN! I WILL NOW GO AND PREPARE THE NEXT PUZZLE!" He then walked away. I turned to Sans. For some reason, his eye sockets were dark again.

"heh, so you remember some of it. good job, i guess. are you sure you don't remember any of this?" I shook my head.

"Maybe it's muscle memory. Who knows. I did hear a voice at the back of my mind that said it would be easy to get rid of Papyrus. Don't know what that was, don't wanna know." Sans still had his serious face on.

"ok. just make sure you don't follow the voice's advice." The world blinked black and white, and he was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oooooooh. Yes.... Plot. And the first of the many mental breakdowns! I enjoy writing them too much...
> 
> Last part of the triple update!

I kept going, but not forgetting the conversation that just happened. This was getting a bit scary. What if that was me, committing genocide, but I don't remember it? I hope not. I hope it was someone else. Not that that would justify it.

" _Oh, it was you, don't worry_." I spun around

There's that voice again. "Who are you?" I asked it out loud.

" _Someone... Familiar_ "

"Then who are you?" I try to think of who it could be, but my mind draws a blank.

" _Don't bother trying to remember me. With the way things are going, you'll remember me soon~_ " What. Have I gone crazy? I wouldn't be surprised. This place is crazy, and I don't understand the logistics of half the things that happen.

" _Nah, you're not crazy. You have just forgotten. Don't you remember me? Your 'Best Friend'?_ " I don't trust this voice. Its voice seems to mock me, digging inside my head and pulling out my deepest secrets. I had no best friend, I didn't really have any friends on the Surface.

"No, I don't remember you. I don't think we've met. How are you even in my head?"

" _Oh, Frisk. Quick to get to the point as usual, hmm? Of course you don't remember me, especially after you gave me your Soul. This is going to be soo funny. The comedian remembers what you did, I do, Flowey does, even if he doesn't show it. I'm pretty sure that that nosy Riverperson does too. And don't forget the Man Who Speaks In Hands; Gaster himself! Trapped outside of space and time, I'm sureeee he remembers what you have done, hmm? Also, the Amalgamates! They have soooo much Determination~!_ "

This was getting confusing. I was pretty sure I had never met this person, and I've surely not have given them my Soul! It's still here, I can see it during Fights. Also, what were they talking about? What did I do? I have never done something ba- Oh. The Genocide Run. Was that… my fault? Like actually my fault? But how? I don't remember it at all! But… others do. Flowey, Sans, this Riverperson and Gaster they were speaking of. Even the Amalgamates. Why don't I remember? Everything does seem a bit familiar, like déjà vu. But was it real? Or was the voice trying to trick me?

" _Yes, now you're getting it. The Genocide Run was your fault. Sans should just kill you where you stand, shouldn't he? You remember your sins crawling on your back, they're doing it now. Oh, Frisk. As naïve as always, putting the blame on me, or your memory. You should know by now that it is always your fault. Never mine. You know that you should be burning in hell, just like the comedian told you to._ "

I knelt on the snow, holding my head in my hands. No. Just no. This can't be real; this can't be true! Chara is just lying to me, trying to poison my mind, and make me doubt myself… This. Is. Not. Real.

" _Hmmm this is curious. You seem to have remembered my name! Ah well, the rest of your memories should be coming back soon. You know what you have done, don't bother trying to deny it. It was your fault Frisk, not mine. I'm just making you remember; you don't deserve to forget. I may have died, but I still care about my adopted family, even if it is broken. Family is family. Don't bother pretending you are part of it. You're just a genocidal maniac playing house with the rest of us. You deserve this._ " And with that, Chara went silent.

I lay curled up in the snow, crying silent tears. Why? Why was Chara forcing me to remember? But they're right. I deserve this. I'm a horrible person. I deserve this.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay another update. I have 19 chapters of this written up, this is the 9th chapter. I've merged a couple because they break off at bad places sometimes.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is in Sans' POV, because it impacts more. We get to see him decide once and for all. Decide what? Read to find out.
> 
> ALSO CAN SOMEONE PLEASE COMMENT. IF SOMEONE DOES I'LL SHUT UP.

-Sans' POV-

the kid was taking a long time. maybe i should check on them. frisk should be near the snowball game. i took a shortcut there and appeared somewhere near the place where i thought they'd be. and there they were. but something was wrong. they were lying curled up on the ground, crying. had something happened?

i walked up to the kid. "hey, kid are you ok?" they turned toward me and i could see the anguished expression of their face.

"I'm sorry Sans, I'm so, so sorry…" what were they talking about? we had established that it wasn't them during the genocide run… right?

"kid, what are you talkin' about? we've established that it wasn't you during the genocide run" my eyes went dark. "or was it?" the kid started crying again. oh man, i made them cry again.

i sat down in the snow beside them. "kid, can you tell me what's wrong? something must be very wrong if you've lost your demeanor." it felt a little weird to be comforting them after all that had happened, but they'd changed, right?

Frisk sat up and looked at me with bleary violet eyes. they looked a bit done with this, but the predominant expression on their face was apology and sadness.

"S-sans… I'm sorry…" they burst into tears again. "I'm so, so sorry…" i was still confused.

"what are you sorry about? tell me, it's ok." i am not good at this comforting thing. but it seemed to work.

"They… Chara told me that it was me who did the Genocide Run… I didn't believe them, but now…" they looked me right in the eyes. "I remember, Sans. I remember what I did. It was me, Sans, not someone else." they braced themselves for my judgement.

but i was still stuck on the thought that… it was them? but, they're so sweet, i-i don't believe this… but, the look on their face says it all. i had to decide. would i forgive them for the thousands of times they'd killed everyone I know and love, or would i condemn this poor kid to a life of misery and sorrow? they seemed to be sorry, but were they just a good actor? i-i don't know…

i made up my mind. "kid, as long as you're sorry and won't do that ever again, then… i forgive you." they visibly relaxed when they heard those last three words. they had probably expected me to not forgive them.

Frisk threw their arms around me. "Sans… thank you. I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry… but thank you…" i hugged them back.

"it's ok, kid."

but a feeling lingered deep inside me. the feeling told me i was wrong about them, that i would regret this, that they would just turn on me and everyone else... as i sat there, comforting the murderer that i'd despised for so long, another feeling came. a feeling so familiar, it was almost comforting. almost. this feeling told me i was useless, i was making yet another mistake... that i should just die and no one would care.

i impulsively hugged the kid a bit tighter, in an effort to drive that familiar feeling away. but it stayed, always there, right around the corner, waiting to drag me back down.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter cause why not. More of Chara making Frisk feel even worse for their actions.
> 
> Double update. Other chapter'll be up soon.

-Frisk's POV-

I couldn't believe Sans had forgiven me. Even after all that I'd put him through, he forgave me? I'm just glad it's over.

I got up; Papyrus was probably wondering where we were. "T-thanks again, Sans..."

"no problem, kid. just don't do it again." The world flashed black and white, and Sans was gone. He was probably too lazy to walk back. Before he disappeared though, I thought I saw something... His face... I shook my head.

" _So he forgave you, hmm? Don't get cocky just yet. Flowey ain't going to forgive you, he literally can't. Remember the no soul thing? Then there's Gaster. His situation is… complicated so let's not worry about him just yet. There's also the Riverperson. Even the little we know about them indicates that they'll probably forgive you. And the Amalgamates. Those guys are hostile, but they've probably just sensed the time jumps, as they don't have access to the outside world. So if they're mad, it'll only be for taking them away from their families. Good chance they won't know it was you. Let's not count them. So almost everyone that remembers will probably forgive you, doesn't care, or can't reach you. But what about me? Oh, Frisk. You know the answer to that. I haven't forgiven you, probably never will. But who cares about my opinion, right? I'm dead, aren't I? I know you care about my opinion, hmm Frisk?_ "

"Can you please stop bothering me? This is getting annoying. I think you know that Sans may have forgiven me, but I haven't forgiven myself. Maybe I never will." Then, I remembered that I usually talk to Chara through my thoughts, because they can read them. I'll probably do that now. I think it annoys them.

I started to walk to the next place. There was a humongous piece of ice in front of me, but now that I know what it does, it's not as interesting as it was the first time.

" _Getting bored, Frisk? I know you; you get bored faaaaast. Soon, you'll be soooo boreeed. Bored enough to commit genocide again~!_ " As always, Chara was annoying. Why? I don't know. Maybe because they died. I know they were trying to make me feel bad, but this is just getting annoying. I already feel bad enough.

" _You wanna say that I'm annoying again? Also, you don't feel bad enough._ "

" _No, I'm not saying that again. I know what your wrath is like._ "

After I crossed the humongous expanse of ice, there was a little clearing. Dogamy and Dogaressa should be showing up soon. Time to expand their minds. Usually in the middle of the Fight with them, I'd have to roll in mud to convince them I'm a lost puppy instead of a human. But after my little breakdown back there, I'm pretty sure I was already covered in a mixture of mud and snow. I looked down at my striped sweater. Yup, I was covered in mud and snow.

I Dogbass starts playing. I turn around, and there they are, the Dogi, as they like to be called.

"What's that smell?" Dogamy's voice always seems more pronounced to me for some reason.

"(Where's that smell?)" Dogaressa sounds like she speaks in brackets. Don't know why, probably just my messed-up mind. " _It is messed-up. Muuuuurdereeerr._ " " _Shut up, Chara._ "

"If you're a smell-"

"(Identify yoursmellf!)" They sometimes finish each other's sentences. Don't know why. They started smelling the air, trying to find me. Eventually, they located my smell and positioned themselves on either side of me.

"Here's that smell!"

"(Prepare yoursmellf!)" And, the Fight started.

Immediately, the Dogi got confused. I smelled like a puppy because of the mud.

"Wait, Dogaressa… This smell smells like a lost puppy!" Dogaressa sniffed the air again.

"(Yeah, it does. Are you a lost pup, pup?)" This was my favorite part. They were convinced now that I was a puppy. I reached out and pet Dogaressa.

"(Did the puppy just pet me? Are dogs able to pet other dogs?)" Heh. Dogaressa then reached out and petted Dogamy.

"Dogaressa, did you just pet me?"

"(The puppy pet me, now I pet you. Dogs can pet each other!)" Then, the Fight was over. Their minds have been expanded.

" _God, Frisk. Why do you enjoy such pointless things? Well, I guess it's better then committing genocide._ " Aaaand Chara has ruined my mood. Again. Why on earth would I be in l- wait what.

Anyway- " _Don't worry, Chara. I'm not killing anyone ever again."_

" _I'm not worrying, just torturing you with memories."_

I decided to ignore Chara for now, they would always be a bit annoying, and there's no changing that. But I'm still hoping they'll forgive me eventually.

" _Hey! Frisky, you don't have to be so mean!"_

" _Uh-huh, says the person who pushed me into genocide_."

" _I didn't do that, and you know it. You're just trying to push the blame off of yourself. You know that it was all you~._ "

_"Yeah, yeah… I know, Chara, I know. Just an old habit. I shouldn't do that. Sorry."_

_"Ok, now you're apologizing. I thought it might be a prank, but you're actually trying to be a better person? Good job, Frisky, good job."_

_"Stop being sarcastic, Chara. You knew I was going to try. And stop calling me Frisky. My name is Frisk, and you know that_." Or well, my name is Frisk now.

" _… I'm not being sarcastic. Well maybe a bit. But if you're trying to be a better person, that's a good thing. it doesn't make up for your past sins, but it means you've changed._ " Chara went silent after that for some reason. Probably because they were leaving me to my own thoughts. Perhaps they were starting to forgive me? It doesn't matter right now; I need to keep going. The Skelebros are waiting for me.

I keep walking, continuing to spare every Monster I encounter. This is not going to be a Neutral Run. True Pacifist, then no more Resets. Eventually, I come across one of Papyrus' puzzles, but I already knew the solution, so that was easy. At the end of the puzzle, I could see Paps in the distance.

I ran over as quick as I could, greeting him as I ran.

"LOOK SANS! THE HUMAN IS HERE! YOU WERE TAKING QUITE A WHILE, HUMAN! SANS MADE THIS PUZZLE!" He pointed at what was in front of him, but then seemed to notice there was only a piece of paper on the ground. "SANS, WHAT IS THIS?"

"it's a crossword. a crossword is still a puzzle." Papyrus facepalmed. This was one of the funniest parts.

"SANS, I GET IT THAT YOU'RE LAZY, AND THAT A CROSSWORD IS STILL A PUZZLE, BUT… YOU SHOULD'VE USED JUNIOR JUMBLE! IT'S MUCH HARDER!" I burst out laughing. Papyrus is just too much of a cinnamon roll.

Both the skeletons gave me weird look. I composed myself and walked over to the paper. It was simple, I finished it quickly. Papyrus looked like I'd just proven his point.

"SEE, SANS? THE HUMAN FINISHED IT WAY TOO QUICKLY!"

"hey, kid. can you help us settle this? which is better, junior jumble or crossword?" I knew Sans didn't care; he loved his bro too much. I immediately answered.

"Junior Jumble!" Papyrus had a triumphant look on his face.

"SEE, SANS? NYEH HEH HEH!" And with that the cinnamon roll ran off.

Sans turned to me. "heh, thanks kid. are… you ok? after all… that back there."

I nodded. "Yeah… I'm fine, thanks for asking." There was a bit of an awkward pause. I noticed he looked a bit exhausted. That didn't make sense, he was sleeping practically all the time! Sans even fell asleep during our Fight at the end of each Genocide Run! Maybe something was wrong?

"Uh… Sans, are you ok? You look more tired than usual…" He shook his head and seemed to perk up a bit.

"yeah, i'm fine, kid. no need to worry about me." The world flashed black and white, and he was gone. The lazy skeleton.

I turned to the path ahead of me. Time to keep going. But my mind was still on Sans' attitude. Something was wrong. I shook it off.

* * *

I drew Frisk! Yes, I know the drawing is shit, but it's something. And there is quite a bit of foreshadowing in it ;)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now we're getting somewhere... Short chapter but its at triple update, so I think it'll be fine?

As I walked, I couldn't shake off Sans' strange behavior. I don't think I've even heard him crack a single pun yet, which a lot of people thought he did too often. Especially Papyrus. Anyway, I needed to get my mind off of Sans, there were more puzzles coming up soon (Not that I didn't know the answers to them).

Along my way to the next puzzle, one of my favorite encounters happened. Greater Dog. Yet another one of the dogs in the Canine Unit of the Royal Guard. Except this one, if you pet him, his neck elongated. I'm pretty sure that once, I pet him so much that his neck hit the top of the cavern that was the Underground. I still don't understand how I had reached that high.

After that Fight, there were no more Royal Guards. Only occasional Fights along the way, I wasn't worried.

There were two more of Papyrus' puzzles. The first one, he wasn't there, like usual. But the second one he wasn't there… Papyrus was punctual, always on time, something must be wrong. I tried to ignore it; this was an unusual timeline. I did the puzzle, but I was worried.

" _Aww, are we worrying about those, and I quote: 'Easy targets'_ "? I ground my teeth. Why did Chara have to bother me with that? It seems they're back to their sarcastic self for the moment.

" _They're my friends now, I am never doing that again, mark my words, Chara. I promise you. And if I break that promise, then you have my full permission to do whatever you want with me. Got it?"_

_"Ooh… That's going to be interesting…"_

_"Don't get your hopes up, it's not happening."_

Luckily, Chara went silent. I kept going, eventually reaching the next place where I was supposed to meet Papyrus: the bridge. Or, as Paps calls it, The Gauntlet of Deadly Terror. Not that he activates it, he's too pure-hearted. I chuckle at the thought. I walk across the bridge with no worry, that is except worrying about the Skelebros.

Soon after that, I reach Snowdin Town. I could guess Sans was probably at Grillby's, the local bar/restaurant. Paps might already be waiting for me at the little clearing between Snowdin and Waterfall. I head to Grillby's.

When I open the door, there he is, Sans.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oof, Sans... I feel bad for you, bruh.
> 
> CAN SOMEONE PLEASE FUCKING **COMMENT**. I AM FUCKING DYING OVER HEREEEEE.

I walked over to the skeleton and sat down beside him. He was holding a bottle of ketchup in his hand, and his usual smile seemed a bit more forced. Sans turned his head to look at me. I immediately noticed that even his eyes were different. Usually they're only dark when he's serious, or is threatening someone, but this time, they were dark for a different reason. He seemed dead inside.

"hey, kid." His tone was hollow, like he didn't care about anything anymore. Usually, he would put on a metaphorical mask to hide his true feelings, but I knew deep inside that this was the true Sans. A Monster who died long, long ago, yet is still shambling around, living life. Pretending to care, but he only cared for three things; Papyrus, Toriel, and trying to defeat me. Maybe his mask had slipped because that last reason was void now?

"Hey, Sans. Are you ok?" I knew the answer, but I had to hear it from him. I knew him better than most people, and those that think they know him only know the fake Sans.

He took a sip from his bottle of ketchup. "no, i'm not ok. and i think you know that." I sighed. Yes, I did know that, but I was just trying to express concern.

" _Haha, good one. You don't care about anyone; you're a heartless murderer. Much less him. You hate him_."

 _"Don't bother me now, Chara_."

All the other Monsters in the establishment looked at us, especially Grillby. I waved them off, we didn't need any extra attention now. Everyone turned away, knowing that this wasn't their business. Except Grillby. The fire elemental kept quietly staring at us, worried about Sans, but now knowing how to express it; the fiery bartender rarely ever spoke. He eventually looked away, but I knew his mind was still on Sans.

"What's wrong, Sans?" This was also something I knew, but not the specifics about it. Why did his state shine through in this specific moment? If anything, it should be disappearing.

Sans kept drinking his ketchup. Then, he laid his head on the countertop. "it's just that… i can't believe it's all over… that you're going to stop… what if you're tricking me? what if… what if… i just can't get over this paranoia…"

I knew there was more to it than that. But he didn't talk about his feelings, it was his rule of thumb. Sans' thoughts told him that he shouldn't tell anyone, he's useless, he doesn't deserve Saving. His mind told him that everyone is better off thinking he's fine, just being lazy. His mind told him that he would just be a burden, there's nothing anyone can do. Except me. And now he can't accept it.

"Sans, it'll be fine now… I'm stopping, it's never happening again. You should just tell someone, and they'll help you…" I knew how he was going to respond, but it was worth a shot.

Knowing the gist of what he was about to say, I prepared for him to do his little time-stopping thing he does when we're talking about something important in public. But to my surprise, it didn't happen.

"kid, no one can help me." Neither me, nor Sans heard the door opening behind us. Sans turned to me. "clinical depression isn't something you can just get rid of." He grabbed his bottle of ketchup and turned around to leave, then saw the Monster that had just walked in. Papyrus with a shocked expression.


End file.
